Several weeks ago, Paul McKenna appeared on the Dr. Oz show talking about his revolutionary procedure for getting weight loss results without surgery. He had several women who he had hypnotized earlier in the week, and each gave their testimonials about how wonderful they were feeling, how little interest they had in food, and how surprised they were that the banding seemed to be working. Dr. Oz pointed to the fact that the procedure is an alternative to weight loss surgery, and that it obviously does not have the surgical risks and challenges. He also noted the long term success that clients have with hypnosis for weight loss, and having another tool such as the virtual band could possibly further enable clients to deal with their eating behaviors and issues.

In the world of hypnosis and hypnotists, these procedures have become exceedingly popular training opportunities. Depending on how we want to receive it, we can do everything from the study on your own version to week long sessions requiring substantial financial commitment. These procedures all have a couple of things in common:

* They have scripted sessions, one of which guides the client through a surgical procedure in their minds

* They are multiple session, varying in the content and the approach but generally staying almost totally focused on the issue of weight loss

* They are of limited duration - 4-8 sessions, regardless of the amount of weight that the client wants to lose

* They generally disregard many of the associated life and health issues faced by overweight people so they do not address issues that may be specific risks for individual clients.

* Trainings are in a specific procedure, not in weight loss, and practitioners are in competition with each other online being defined by the particular procedure in which they were trained.

So how does this all help the client? The biggest gain is that there are now many practitioners who were already doing weight loss hypnosis who now have additional tools to add to their toolboxes. And while the prepackaged virtual band programs are solution based - that is giving you a specific solution to your identified problem - practitioners are moving beyond the provided scripts to give their clients more comprehensive care that does recognize their unique challenges and conditions.

So what does the virtual band do? It gives the client a new tool for feeling their body's need for food. When the client is sensitized to having a restriction around the stomach, they then experience what they put into it differently. As they learn their own ability to adjust it, they can support their choice to eat smaller portions; they can reinforce eating regularly because their stomachs will be telling them that the body needs food or is full, and over time, they will develop new habits that follow new eating patterns that can support a normal weight.

Does it sound too good to be true? Weight loss without surgery? Change in eating habits? Ability to eat less and feel what your body needs when you've never been able to do it before? It will work for you if you are motivated, and this is another area where hypnosis can help. We can work with that part of you that is motivated to be healthy and at an ideal weight, and support this part to develop strong skills and reinforce your successes. We can work with that part of you that believes that losing weight is about depriving and punishing yourself, and help that part assume a protective rather than a critical role.

Give us a call if you want to know more. Virtual bands work when the client wants them to, and they don't if the client is looking for a quick fix without taking responsibility for his or her behavior.